Blas 2015 flying high over milestones

Milestones
and memories will be the hallmark of the 11th Blas festival launched
in Inverness today and which will take place at venues across the Highlands and
Argyll between 4 and 12 September.

Now
entering its second decade as one of Scotland’s leading music festivals, Blas
2015 has assembled a stellar line-up of some of the best musicians and singers
to celebrate Highland culture.

Established
11 years ago as a result of The Highland Council’s desire to create a festival
that would match the vitality of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours, the Council has
continued its support of Blas. It is now an international event that
showcases Highland culture and its continuing success has been welcomed by the
Scottish Government and Highland Council.

Speaking
at today’s launch at Eden Court Inverness, Blas Festival Director, Donna
Macrae, said: “This year’s programme is packed with a notable series of events
marking special anniversaries and milestones enhanced by a ‘blas’ of Scottish
produce in this year celebrating food and drink. Fèisean nan Gàidheal,
which delivers Blas, will see some of its own members in that category.
Fèis Spè celebrates its 25th anniversary as do the Kiltearn
Fiddlers, established under the auspices of Fèis Rois. World-renowned
band Shoogenlifty will mark their own 25th anniversary at The
Ironworks in Inverness on September 5th with Hò-ro and Niteworks.”

They
all have a bit to go before they match the 70th birthday
celebrations being thrown to mark renowned singer Anne Lorne Gillies’ major
milestone. Friends and associates who have shared stages and
experiences with Anne over the years will come together to celebrate a
distinguished career both here and on the other side of the Atlantic.

Few
bands have had a bigger influence on Gaelic song than Runrig. The songs,
written by founder member brothers Calum and Rory MacDonald, will feature in a
specially commissioned event “Òran: A celebration of the songs of Runrig” which
will be the Grand Finale of Blas 2015. This takes place at the Eden Court
Empire Theatre in Inverness on Saturday, September 12th.

Al
the artistes appearing in “Òran” have either performed Runrig’s material or
collaborated with the band since it was formed in the 1970s and will include
Julie Fowlis with Eamonn Doorley & Tony Byrne, Cathy Anne MacPhee and
Mànran who are, in many ways, following in the footsteps of the Gaelic-rock
trailblazers. They will be accompanied on the evening by an ensemble of
musicians from the Fèis movement, which is inextricably linked with the Blas
festival.

Calum
MacDonald, Runrig founder and drummer said: “The Blas Festival is without doubt
one of the most iconic events in the traditional music success story of recent
times. Exciting, varied, vibrant, international, yet completely rooted in
the Highland, Gaelic psyche. It is therefore a huge honour for the band
to have our music performed at the finale of the 2015 Festival, and
particularly gratifying for us to see some of our songs slip back into that
tradition - a tradition to which we owe so much.”

Few of the
anniversaries being marked this year will, however, be as poignant as the
“Shinty’s Heroes: The Pipes Come Home” concert being held in the Phipps Hall,
Beauly on the opening night, Friday September 4. In the centenary year of
the infamous Battle of Festubert, when hundreds of Highland soldiers lost their
lives, a set of pipes belonging to a notable shinty player from Beauly, Donald
Paterson, killed by a sniper in the battle, will return to Beauly to be played
by Duncan MacGillivray of Calrossie as part of a unique commemoration.

Amongst
the other top acts gracing this year’s festival programme will be Dick
Gaughan, Macanta, J.P. Cormier from Canada, The Scottish Traditional Song
Collective, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, The Alan Kelly Gang with special
guests Eddi Reader and John Douglas. Gaelic singers will, as usual, be to
the fore. As well as Anne Lorne Gillies, Cathy Ann MacPhee and Julie
Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes, Mairi MacInnes, Margaret Stewart with Ingrid
Henderson & Alan Nicolson and Eilidh Mackenzie with Anna Massie &
Mairearad Green will all make an appearance.

Session A9
will make their only Highland appearances this year at Blas 2015 - in
Wick and in Sleat on the Isle of Skye. There will also be a series
of cèilidh dances at various locations with top dance bands including the
Fergie MacDonald band in Strathy, and the Robert Nairn Band in Broadford, both
on Friday September 11th.

The Blas Festival has enjoyed significant support from
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) for some years, with the
Inverness Airport restaurant having been the venue for concerts and a Blas
Ball. Musicians have frequently played short sessions within the airport
concourse throughout the festival.

This year another special event is scheduled to take
place in the unique setting of Inverness Airport. The fourth 2015
Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame Dinner will be hosted by Hands Up for
Trad, in partnership with Blas, on September 11th. This
celebration at Inverness Airport will acknowledge the 2015 inductees to the
Hall and feature music from Rona Lightfoot and UHI students.

Chair of The Highland Council’s Gaelic Implementation
Group, Councillor Hamish Fraser said: “We are very proud of the Blas Festival
which was originally initiated by the Council 11 years ago. Since 2005 it
has developed to become bigger and better but has still managed to maintain, at
its heart, the original charm and uniqueness which sees internationally
acclaimed artists share the stage with home grown young musical talent.

“Audiences are drawn here to the Highlands from around
the world as well as from our local communities. The 2015 Programme is
exciting, engaging, and educational.

"It showcases Gaelic and traditional music in a wide
variety of venues and locations across the Highlands and Argyll including
Portree to Portmahomack, Strathpeffer to Strathy and Carrbridge to Campbeltown.
I urge everyone in the Highlands to visit at least one event and find out for
themselves how special and enjoyable this festival of Gaelic music and culture
is.”

The launch of Blas 2015 has been welcomed by Dr
Alasdair Allan, Scottish Government Minister for Learning, Science and
Scotland's Languages. He said: "For over a decade now, the Blas Festival
has set the standard for showcasing the music and culture of the Highlands.
With so many talented musicians and singers performing from around Scotland and
internationally, in venues across the Highlands and Argyll and with the Gaelic
language at its heart, it's no wonder that Blas continues to thrive."

Tickets for
all Blas events can be bought online, or by phone, with details on the
festival’s website blas-festival.com where further information is available on the full programme of events.